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Britain to Ireland by train+ferry...
|
|
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Call
08450 755 755
London or any station in Britain
to (or from) Dublin, with a cheap combined
train+ferry ticket...
London ► Dublin £29 each way...
Manchester
► Dublin £26 each way...
Oxford
► Dublin £29 each way...
Birmingham
► Dublin £27 each way...
Brighton
► Dublin £29 each way...
Cambridge
► Dublin £29 each way...
Any
other stn
► Dublin £29
or less...
By traditional, eco-friendly train+ferry.
Any day, any time, unlimited availability...
|
Buy a
combined train+ferry ticket from London
or any station in Britain to Dublin...
It's a
well-kept secret... You can buy a combined train+ferry
ticket between any rail station in Britain and Dublin or any rail
station in Ireland at amazingly cheap prices, via any of the
main ferry routes & ferry companies, one-way or return in
either direction. No stressful airports or flights, no
cramped coach journeys on eyesore motorways, just a relaxing
scenic ride through the countryside by train and across the
Irish Sea by ferry. This page
explains train+ferry routes, timetables, fares and how to buy
tickets.
The train+ferry
tickets cover train travel to Holyhead (or Stranraer or
Fishguard, use the route map to choose the ferry route that
suits your location best), the ferry to Ireland (Irish Ferries or Stena Line, choose
which you want), then Irish Railways train travel to your
Irish destination. It's the traditional, civilised, time-honoured
way to reach Ireland, the way everyone travelled for most of
the 19th & 20th centuries. It's far more
environmentally-friendly than taking short-haul flights, which are now the fastest-growing
contributor to global warming. It's also cheaper,
once you add baggage fees, airport taxes & the £13 train fare
you'd have to pay from London to Luton or Stansted airports.
On the trains & ferries, children go for half fare and infants
go free. Bring a bottle of your favourite wine with you
(try doing that on Ryanair), sit back, relax and enjoy the
journey.
London to Dublin
costs just £29 each way via Holyhead. London to
Galway, Cork, Limerick or Sligo costs £47.50 each way.
Oxford, Canterbury, Brighton, Norwich or Cambridge to Dublin
costs £29 each way via Holyhead, and Leicester, Hereford,
York, Plymouth or Leeds to Dublin costs £27. Those are
the regular fixed prices with (in effect) unlimited
availability, even if you buy on the day of travel.
On this page...
Route map: Britain to Ireland by train + ferry
Suggested service from London to
Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Belfast. This section suggests the most convenient daytime train+ferry connection between these
cities, with timetables, fares & an account of the journey.
It explains how to find train times & fares from other UK
towns & cities as well as London, and to find train times
& fares to other
Irish destinations as well as the ones above.
How to buy tickets by phone
or at stations...
Suggested
service from Dublin, Cork,
Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Belfast to London (Mondays-Fridays)
Suggested service
from Dublin, Cork,
Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Belfast to London (Saturdays &
Sundays)
Complete timetable London-Dublin
by train+ferry. If the suggested options don't suit
you there are more, including a time-effective overnight
service. This section shows all the train & ferry options
between London & Dublin via both Irish Ferries & Stena Line,
with fares & how to buy tickets.
London to Rosslare & Waterford: Times, fares, how to
buy tickets for journeys via Fishguard-Rosslare.
London to Cork via either Holyhead, Fishguard or Swansea.
London to all other destinations in Ireland
Also on this page...
Train travel within Ireland
Day trips from Dublin by train &
motorcoach
Short breaks to Ireland without flying
Read a review of rail+sea travel to Ireland at the Irish
Sunday Tribune.
Sponsored links:
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Leave central London aboard
Virgin Trains' 9.10am 'Irish Mail' to Holyhead... |
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 |
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The train is modern and
air-conditioned... |
| |
 |
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...it
passes right by Conway
Castle... |
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...and crosses
the Menai Strait to Anglesey. |
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...At Holyhead, you board the luxurious 50,000 ton ferry
'Ulysses' for the sea crossing to Dublin... |
Let's keep things
simple by suggesting the most convenient daytime train+ferry service between
London & Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway or Belfast, via the
cheapest & most direct route. If this timetable doesn't
suit you or if you'd rather travel time-effectively overnight, then by all means see the
London-Dublin
complete timetable section below, as all the other options
are shown there.
London ► Dublin,
Belfast, Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Cork
(suggested option)
-
Travel from London
to Holyhead by train, leaving London's Euston station at 09:10
on Mondays-Fridays or 08:50 Saturdays on a direct train to
Holyhead arriving 12:50. On Sundays, leave London at
08:15, change trains at Crewe to arrive Holyhead at 12:43.
-
Sail from Holyhead
to Dublin on the daily 14:10 Irish Ferries ship 'Ulysses' from
Holyhead to Dublin, arriving Dublin Ferryport at 17:25.
-
Dublin Ferryport
is 2 miles from Dublin city centre, a shuttle bus is
available. Train connections are available leaving
Dublin early evening for Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo &
Belfast, arriving in each of those cities in the late evening.
For details, read on...
The journey in
more detail...
-
Step 1: Travel from
London to Holyhead by train. The train is modern and
air-conditioned, with refreshments available on board.
Always check train times for your own date of travel using
www.nationalrail.co.uk as times can vary, especially at
weekends.
-
If you're travelling from any other
British town or
city to Dublin, simply use
www.nationalrail.co.uk to find train times to Holyhead,
to arrive at any time before about 13:10. Use the route map above
to check that the route via Holyhead is a sensible one for
your starting point: For example, Glasgow to Belfast would be better via Stranraer,
Cardiff to Wexford is better via Fishguard! However, the
route via Holyhead is the best route from London, the
southeast, the south, East Anglia and the Midlands to Dublin
and most of Ireland, as it's the best-connected.
-
What's the
train journey like? For the best
views between London & Holyhead, choose a seat on the right-hand side of the
train. The train sweeps through the
Buckinghamshire & Northamptonshire countryside, with
frequent
glimpses of narrow boats on the Grand Union Canal alongside
the railway. A couple of hours out of London, the train calls at the railway town of Crewe (look out for the railway
museum on the right just after leaving) and later at the historic city
of Chester - you'll see part of Chester's city walls on the right just
after leaving. The train then runs along the scenic
north Wales coastline, often just a stone's throw from the
sea. Look out for the old ferry 'The Duke of Lancaster',
originally moored as a floating nightclub and now just rusting gently. After
calling at Llandudno Junction, the train enters the pretty
town of Conway and passes right
under the towering walls of Conway's impressive castle. After
leaving Bangor, look through the trees on the right and you
can catch a glimpse of
Telford's suspension bridge
carrying the old London-Holyhead coach road (now the A5) from the mainland
onto the
Isle of Anglesey, and shortly afterwards your train crosses to Anglesey over
the equally historic
Britannia Bridge, built by Robert
Stephenson in 1850. Originally just a rail bridge, it was
rebuilt after a fire in 1970 and now carries a road above
the railway. As the train crosses the bridge, you'll see
Telford's beautiful suspension bridge a little way along the river to
your right. You're now on Anglesey, and your train
swishes non-stop through a little local station with the longest name in
Britain, a visitor attraction in its own right - it's
called Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch,
in case you were wondering! Finally, you'll see the mountains of
Snowdonia in the distance to your left before arriving in the
port of Holyhead, the traditional embarkation point for
Ireland.
-
In Holyhead, the
ferry terminal for both Stena Line and Irish Ferries is right
next to the station at the end of platform 2. So you
walk straight off the train and into the terminal to check in
for the ferry. There's a 30 minute check-in for all
ferries, feel free to wander across the stainless-steel
footbridge into Holyhead's pleasant town centre (5 min walk
from the station & ferry terminal) if you've time to spare. After
getting your boarding pass, there's a brief and painless X-ray
security check, and you then check in your bags so you don't
have to carry them round with you on the ferry.
-
Which ferry?
There are two ferry operators between Holyhead and Dublin,
Stena Line & Irish Ferries, and each operates both a
conventional ship and a fast ferry. Stena Line's 'HSS' fast ferry berths
right next to the
terminal building at Holyhead, but after cutbacks in 2009 it
only sails once a day at 10:25, too early for train
connections from London. So in the London to Dublin
direction, I recommend that you buy a ticket routed via Irish
Ferries and use their conventional ship, the luxurious 50,000
ton 'Ulysses', from Holyhead to Dublin Ferryport. Stena
Line also have an afternoon ship, the Stena Adventurer, with
similar timings (in fact, you'll get to Dublin 20 minutes
earlier) but the Ulysses is a great ship and Irish Ferries
have a wider choice of sailings so offer more flexibility.
Both Stena Line & Irish Ferries ships berth a little way from
the terminal building at Holyhead, so after checking in
passengers are transferred to the ferry on a free shuttle bus.
-
Step 2:
Sail from Holyhead to Dublin Ferryport by Irish Ferries ship
'Ulysses' (or Stena Line's ship 'Stena Adventurer' if you
prefer, though you'll need to specify the ferry operator you
want when buying your ticket). The Ulysses leaves Holyhead at
14:10 daily and arrives at Dublin Ferryport at
17:25. The Stena Adventurer sails from Holyhead daily at
13:50 and arrives Dublin Ferryport at 17:05. Both ships
have bars, cafes, lounges, a
restaurant, a cinema, children's play area, fast food outlets & a shop. Head up on deck for some fresh sea air. You'll sea
the town of Holyhead give way to rocky Welsh coastline which then
disappears astern as the ferry heads for Ireland.
A couple of hours later you enter the wide Bay of Dublin with
the church spires and yacht-filled harbour of Dun
Laoghaire to your left, with the dark purple Wicklow Hills in the distance
behind it, and the town of Howth on your right. This is the best way to see Ireland for
the first time, not the inside of an airport!
Map of Dublin showing the ferryport.
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Step 3:
Take the shuttle bus into Dublin city centre.
Arriving on the Irish Ferries' Ulysses at 17:25, a shuttle bus
will get you to Connolly station by around 17:55, Heuston
station around 18:05, fare 2.50 euro adult, 1.25 euro child.
Or take a taxi. Arriving on the Stena Adventurer, a free
shuttle bus takes you to central Dublin at Connolly Station by
17:30, and Westmoreland Street at by around 17:45. A
painless and scenic trip from central London, three countries
in one day, England, Wales & Ireland!
-
Step 4:
If you're going beyond Dublin, take an Irish intercity train to Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Galway:
For Belfast,
take the daily 19:00 'Enterprise' express from Dublin Connolly
station
arriving at Belfast Central at 21:10.
For Sligo,
take the daily 19:05 intercity train from Dublin Connolly
station
arriving Sligo at 22:08.
For Cork, a train leaves
Dublin Heuston station
daily at 19:00 arriving Cork at 21:55.
For Limerick,
a train leaves Heuston station on Mondays-Saturdays at 20:00,
change at Limerick Junction, arriving Limerick at 22:16.
On Sundays, leave Heuston at 19:10, change at Limerick
Junction and arrive Limerick at 21:26.
For Galway, a
train leaves Heuston station on Mondays-Saturdays at 19:15
arriving Galway at 21:55. On Sundays, leave Heuston at
18:50 arriving Galway at 21:34.
For any other
destination in Ireland, simply use the journey
planner at
www.irishrail.ie to check train times from Dublin.
Make sure you allow enough time to interchange in Dublin.
If it's not possible to complete your journey the same day
(for example, the last train to Tralee leaves Dublin before
you get there), you can stay in Dublin overnight and take a
train next day.
Dublin, Belfast,
Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Cork ► London
(suggested
option 1)
| |
Dublin-London via Dun Laoghaire:
|
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Above: First, take a frequent DART train from Dublin to Dun Laoghaire... |
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....Then take
Stena Line's HSS from Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead.
Here, the Welsh
coast appears ahead... |
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Above: Stena
Line's HSS fast ferry at Holyhead |
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Above: Inside Stena Line's HSS fast
ferry... |
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|
From Belfast,
leave Belfast
Central on Mondays-Fridays at 08:00 arriving at Dublin's
Connolly station at 09:55.
From Sligo,
take the 07:00 on Mondays-Fridays arriving 10:03.
From
Cork, leave Cork on Mondays-Fridays at 07:30 arriving in
Dublin's Heuston station at 10:20.
From
Limerick, leave Limerick on Mondays-Fridays at 07:35
arriving in Dublin's Heuston station at 09:55.
From Galway,
leave Galway on Mondays-Fridays at 07:15 arriving in
Dublin's Heuston station at 09:45.
From any other
Irish town or city, use the journey planner at
www.irishrail.ie to find suitable train times to Dublin.
Remember to allow enough time in Dublin to interchange, even
if the train arrives a bit late.
If your train arrives at Heuston station, take the LUAS tram to
Connolly station, this runs every 5-10 minutes and takes 15
minutes, fare 1.50 euros (not included in through tickets).
The tram leaves from right outside the front of the station.
Alternatively, take bus 90.
-
Step 1:
Travel from Dublin city centre to Dun Laoghaire by train,
leaving Dublin Connolly on a DART suburban train at 12:10 and arriving Dun Laoghaire at
12:33. DART trains to Dun Laoghaire normally leave from
platform 6, but occasionally platform 5. There are
plenty of other DART trains if you want to leave earlier.
Enjoy the scenic journey along the sea wall with superb views
of Dublin Bay. In Dun Laoghaire, follow the 'way out'
signs up onto the footbridge, turn left and down the
escalators. The ferry terminal is just across the road
outside the station. Easy! There's a 30 minute
check-in for the ferry.
-
Step 2:
Sail from Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead by Stena Line HSS fast
ferry, leaving Dun Laoghaire ferry terminal daily at 13:30 and
arriving in Holyhead at 15:29. Bars, cafes, spacious lounges, a restaurant,
fast food outlets and a shop are available on board. On
arrival at Holyhead you walk straight off the ferry into the
ferry terminal and directly onto the railway station, it
couldn't be simpler. Note that in this direction on
Mondays-Fridays at least, the one daily HSS sailing works
well, and it's the best option as it offers the easiest
train/ferry transfers at both Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead.
You'll need to buy a train+ferry ticket routed via 'Dun
Laoghaire / Stena Line' to use this route.
-
Step 3:
Travel from Holyhead to London by train. On Mondays
to Fridays leave
Holyhead at 17:21, change at Chester, arriving London Euston station at
21:42. On Saturdays, leave Holyhead at 16:38, change
Chester & Crewe, arriving London Euston at 21:58. On
Sundays, leave Holyhead at 16:25, changing at Chester,
arriving London Euston at 20:44. You can check train times using
www.nationalrail.co.uk. It's a scenic trip along the
north Wales coast, see the London-Dublin section above for an
account of this journey.
-
If you're travelling to
any other
UK town or city, use
www.nationalrail.co.uk to find train times leaving
Holyhead any time after about 16:10. There are
connections to many other UK towns & cities 7 days a week, not
just on Mondays-Fridays.
Dublin, Belfast,
Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Cork ► London
(suggested option
2)
This service runs
daily and is a good choice on any day of the week, but the Dun
Laoghaire HSS route shown above has easier train/ferry
transfers and also leaves later in the day, allowing same day
connections from Cork, Belfast, Galway and so on.
-
Step 0:
Travel by train from Cork, Galway, Limerick, Belfast etc. to
Dublin by train. You'll need to travel the day before you leave Dublin. Simply use
www.irishrail.ie to find
any suitable trains times. Spend the night in Dublin.
-
Step 1:
Take a taxi or shuttle bus from central Dublin to Dublin
Ferryport. A bus leaves the Busaras (central bus
station) at 06:45 & 07:30 on Mondays-Saturdays, 07:00 & 07:30
on Sundays. Fare 2.50 euro (child 1.25 euro). Or
take a taxi, it's about 2 miles.
Map of Dublin showing the ferryport.
-
Step 2: Sail
from Dublin Ferryport to Holyhead on Irish Ferries 'Ulysses',
leaving Dublin Ferryport (terminal 1) daily at 08:05 and
arriving Holyhead at 11:30. The Ulysses is the world's
largest car ferry, with excellent on board accommodation
including bars, restaurant, cinema, children's play area and
even private cabin for an extra charge. At Holyhead, a
courtesy bus transfers you to the passenger terminal and
station. If you have a ticket routed via Stena Line,
there's also a Stena Line ship, the Stena Adventurer, leaving
Dublin Ferryport terminal 2 at 08:20, arriving Holyhead at
11:25.
-
Step 3:
Travel by train from Holyhead to London. On
Mondays-Fridays, leave Holyhead at 13:58 on a direct train to
London arriving London Euston at 17:38. On Saturdays,
leave Holyhead at 14:36 on a direct train to London, arriving London
Euston 18:38. On Sundays leave Holyhead at 13:55 on a
direct train to London, arriving London
Euston at 17:44. Always use
www.nationalrail.co.uk
to check train times for your specific date of travel.
It's a scenic trip along the north Wales coast, see the
London-Dublin section above for an account of this journey.
Fares...
-
London to Dublin
costs £29 each way, children under 16 go for £14.50, children under 5
free.
-
Bought in Dublin,
Dublin to London costs 44 euros.
-
These fares don't
change, they are what you pay even on the day of travel,
although a £2 higher fare may apply at certain peak times.
-
You'll need to
specify whether you want a ticket routed 'Stena Line' or
'Irish Ferries', but the prices are to all intents and
purposes the same.
-
London to Cork,
Limerick, Galway, Tralee, Killarney costs £47.50 each way,
children under 16 £23.80, children under 5 free.
-
London to Belfast
costs £41 each way, children under 16 go for £20.50, children
under 5 free.
-
The fare from any
railway station in Britain is the same as the fare from
London, and in some cases a pound or two less.
-
You can check the
train+ferry fare between any British station and any Irish
station at
www.sailrail.co.uk (select 'via Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire'
to see fares via this ferry route).
-
Stop-overs are not allowed in either direction, you must
complete your journey to Ireland in one go.
As they are so cheap anyway, there's no additional discount
for young person's or senior railcard holders.
How to buy
tickets in the UK:
08450 755 755
-
Buy tickets by phone: You can buy tickets by phone from the SailRail booking line,
08450 755 755 (UK callers). Lines
are open 08:00-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 0900-1700
Saturdays & Sundays. If
you're outside the UK, call Virgin Trains telesales on
+44 870 9080 107. Remember to ask for tickets
routed either 'Stena Line' or 'Irish Ferries' depending
on which service you want in which direction.
-
Buy tickets in
person:
You can buy these train+ferry tickets at most main British railway stations,
even on the day of travel. This includes London Euston. But allow plenty of time to
buy your ticket, and be aware that small stations
(ones without the capability to do seat reservations) may not
sell these tickets.
It's better to buy tickets a day or two before if you can. To buy tickets via
this route, ask for tickets via 'Stena Line HSS Holyhead-Dun
Laoghaire'.
-
You can't buy tickets
online:
You used to be able to buy tickets online using RailEasy.co.uk,
but it stopped working and hasn't been fixed, so please pick
up the phone and call.
How to buy
tickets in Ireland:
-
The fare is 44
euro from Dublin to
London if bought in Ireland, see the
rail+sail brochure on the Irish Ferries website.
-
In person:
You can buy tickets at major Irish Rail stations.
-
By phone: by calling Irish
Railways on (01)
703 1884 (lines open
09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday) or Irish Ferries
on 0818 300 400 (lines open
09:00-19:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-16:00 Saturdays).
-
By e-mail:
to Irish Rail via europeanrail@irishrail.ie.
FAQ...
-
Can I stop
off on the way? No. These cheap and flexible
Britain-Ireland fares are actually cheaper than the normal
domestic fares between London and (for example) Chester or
Holyhead, so you cannot break your journey, only travel
straight through to or from Ireland. Though that
doesn't mean you can't wander round Holyhead town centre
whilst waiting for your ferry! Of course, if you
really want to stop off, nothing
stops you buying separate tickets, for example a normal
ticket (say) London-Chester, then a Chester-Ireland
train+ferry ticket, but this costs a lot more than a
London-Ireland through ticket.
-
Are there any
baggage limits or baggage fees? Do I check my bags in?
There are no baggage weight limits or baggage fees to worry
about.
You simply take your bags with you on the train, placing
them on the luggage racks above your head or at the end of
the coach. You check bags in at the ferry terminal so
you're free to use the ferry's facilities without being
encumbered with luggage, then you collect your bags again
from the carousel at the ferry terminal on the other side.
-
Can I take my
bike? Yes. Bicycles go for £5 each way on
both Irish Ferries & Stena Line, no reservation required,
you simply pay at the ferry terminal when you check in for
the ferry. Bikes are carried on trains to Holyhead,
but reservations are required and a small fee (£3-£5) is
payable per journey.
-
Can I take my
dog or cat? Dogs no, as neither Irish Ferries nor
Stena Line allow foot passengers to take dogs (except guide dogs).
But Irish Ferries will now allow foot passengers to
take cats if they're in a container. The cats must
travel in their container on the car deck or in the kennel
area, see
www.irishferries.ie.
|
|
|
Take a train to
Holyhead in North Wales, then choose one of 4 types of
ferry to Dublin. Stena Line operate a giant twin-hull
fast ferry called an 'HSS' once a day from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire, from where frequent suburban trains run
the scenic 11km north to Dublin
city centre. Stena Line also operate a once-a-day
conventional ship called the Stena Adventurer from Holyhead
to Dublin Ferryport, a mile or two from Dublin's city centre
by shuttle bus or taxi. Irish Ferries operate a luxurious
cruise ferry called the 'Ulysses' twice a day and a high-speed catamaran
called the 'Dublin Swift', both from Holyhead to Dublin
Ferryport. Train+ferry tickets are routed via a
specific ferry operator, those routed via
Irish Ferries can be used on both the Ulysses and the Swift,
those via Stena Line on both HSS and Stena Adventurer.
Which ferry
should you choose? Stena
Line's HSS used to offer the fastest journey and the easiest transfers, as in
Holyhead you can walk from the train straight onto the
ferry, whereas Stena Line ship passengers and all Irish Ferries passengers must take a free
courtesy bus between the ferry terminal and their ferry
after checking in.
From Dun Laoghaire you can take a more comfortable DART train into
Dublin city centre, whereas from Dublin Ferryport you need a
shuttle bus. The crossing to Dun Laoghaire is also (if such
things matter to you) the historic and traditional route to
Ireland. However, cutbacks in early 2009 mean there's
now only one HSS sailing per day, which is so poorly timed
it doesn't connect with trains at all in the London-Dublin
direction and only connects on Mondays-Fridays in the
Dublin-London direction. So Irish Ferries ship Ulysses
becomes the best choice, with twice daily departures and
good rail connections. The HSS is almost entirely enclosed (it has two
small viewing decks at the rear, largely caged in), and you
may prefer the
leisurely 3 hour 15 minute voyage on the 50,000-ton
'Ulysses', the world's largest car ferry, with
cruise-liner-style lounges, bars, restaurant and cinemas,
and open decks where you can take in the sea air and watch
the coast of Ireland approach. Finally, the Dublin Swift offers
the fastest crossing and offers a wider range of departures,
but it has a reputation for being cancelled in poor weather
in which case
passengers are transferred to the next available sailing of the
Ulysses. You need to specify the ferry operator when
buying your ticket, which will include a reservation on a
specific ferry. This reservation can later be
transferred to other sailings of the same operator if
necessary, but not to sailings provided by the other ferry
operator.
 |
OR
|
 |
OR
|
 |
|
1. Irish Ferries
'Ulysses': A
luxurious cruise ferry to Dublin
Ferryport. The leisurely crossing takes 3 hours
15 minutes. Bars, restaurants, cinema, and
optional private cabins are available on board.
|
|
2. Irish Ferries
'Dublin Swift': A fast catamaran to Dublin Ferryport,
taking just 1 hour 49 minutes. Reclining seats & refreshments are available on board.
The Swift can be cancelled if the weather is bad, with
passengers transferred to the Ulysses. |
|
3. Stena
Line HSS (High Speed Sea Service, the world's
largest fast ferry) to Dun Laoghaire in 1 hour 49
minutes, for a DART train to the city centre.
4. Stena
also run a ship to Dublin Ferryport.
|
London ► Dublin
(via Irish Ferries)
|
| |
Mondays-Fridays |
Saturdays |
Sundays |
|
1. Train...
Change trains at: |
Crewe |
Direct |
Chester |
Direct |
Crewe & Chester |
Direct |
Chester |
Chester |
------ |
Crewe |
------ |
Direct |
|
London Euston
depart by train: |
07:10 |
09:10 |
12:10 |
19:10 |
06:36 |
08:50 |
12:10 |
18:10 |
------ |
08:15 |
------ |
19:05** |
|
Holyhead arrive
by train: |
11:19 |
12:50 |
16:14 |
22:56 |
11:19 |
12:56 |
16:14 |
22:19 |
------ |
12:43 |
------ |
22:59** |
|
2. Ferry...
Ferry type: |
Swift* |
Ulysses |
Swift |
Ulysses |
Swift* |
Ulysses |
Swift |
Ulysses |
Swift* |
Ulysses |
Swift |
Ulysses |
|
Holyhead
depart by ferry: |
12:00 * |
14:10 |
17:15 |
02:40 |
12:00 * |
14:10 |
17:15 |
02:40 |
12:00 * |
14:10 |
17:15 |
02:40 |
|
Dublin Ferryport
(terminal 1) arrive
by ferry: |
13:49 * |
17:25 |
19:15 |
05:55 |
13:49 * |
17:25 |
19:15 |
05:55 |
13:49 * |
17:25 |
19:04 |
05:55 |
London ► Dublin
(via Stena Line)
|
| |
Mondays-Fridays |
Saturdays |
Sundays |
|
1.
Train... Change trains at: |
------ |
Direct |
------ |
Direct |
------ |
------ |
|
London Euston depart
by train: |
------ |
09:10 |
------ |
08:50 |
------ |
------ |
|
Holyhead arrive
by train: |
------ |
12:50 |
------ |
12:56 |
------ |
------ |
|
2. Ferry...
Ferry type: |
HSS |
Ship |
HSS |
Ship |
HSS |
Ship |
|
Holyhead depart
by ferry: |
10:25 |
13:50 |
10:25 |
13:50 |
10:25 |
13:50 |
|
Dun Laoghaire
(for Dublin) arrive
by ferry: |
12:24 |
| |
12:24 |
| |
12:24 |
| |
|
Dublin
Ferryport (terminal 2) arrive
by ferry: |
- |
17:05 |
- |
17:05 |
- |
17:05 |
-
Always
double-check train times at
www.nationalrail.co.uk, especially at
weekends as times can vary from those shown above.
You can enter any station in the UK and 'Dublin Ferryport',
as it has ferry times loaded into it.
-
You can check ferry times at www.stenaline.co.uk
or
www.irishferries.ie. No HSS sailings until 12
February 2009, as HSS is undergoing annual maintenance.
-
* = The 12:00
Swift from Holyhead isn't daily. It will run daily 3
Apr-19 Apr, 15 May-4 Oct & 18 Dec 2009-5 Jan 2010, also on
Fri to Sun inclusive from 20 Apr - 14 May & 5 Oct - 1 Nov
2009. The 08:45 Swift from Dublin isn't daily.
It will run daily 3 Apr-19 Apr, 15 May-4 Oct & 18 Dec 2009-5
Jan 2010, also on Fri to Sun inclusive from 20 Apr-14 May &
5 Oct-1 Nov 2009.
-
** = On Saturday mornings,
the train leaves Holyhead at 04:25, change at Llandudno Jn &
Crewe,
arriving London 08:59. If you've heavy luggage, a
direct train leaves Holyhead at 06:50 arriving London Euston
at10:38.
-
Direct = This
train is a direct
125mph Virgin Trains 'Voyager' or 'Pendolino' train between London & Holyhead.
-
Crewe = On this
service, you must change trains at Crewe. Birmingham = On this
service, you must change
trains at Birmingham New Street.
-
---- =
There's no
train connection available for this ferry.
-
At Holyhead the ferry terminal for both Stena Line
& Irish Ferries is right next to the station at the end
of platform 2. After checking in, Stena Line passengers can walk
straight onto the
ferry as the HSS berths right next to the terminal, but
Irish Ferries passengers are transferred by
free courtesy bus to the Dublin Swift or Ulysses, as these
ferries berth a little way from the terminal. There is
a 30 minute check-in for foot passengers, and your bags are checked in for the crossing. A left luggage
office is available at Holyhead, and the town centre is just
5 mins walk across a footbridge if you have time for a
wander.
-
Dublin Ferryport (where Irish Ferries arrive) is 2
miles from central Dublin. There's a shuttle bus
from the ferry terminal to Dublin city centre & the main
Dublin railway stations (Connolly & Heuston). The
bus fare is not included in train+ferry tickets, it's 2.50
euros adult, 1.25 euros child, and you pay on the bus.
-
Dun
Laoghaire (pronounced 'Dunn Leary', where Stena Line
arrives) is 11 km (about 7 miles) south of
Dublin. It's the traditional place to arrive in
Ireland. Leave the ferry terminal main exit and you'll
find the railway station just across the road.
DART
suburban trains run
every 10-15 mins from Dun Laoghaire to Dublin Connolly
station in the city centre, journey time 25 minutes, so
you'll be in central Dublin around an hour or so after the
ferry arrives.
If you need to reach Dublin Heuston station
(the station for trains to Cork, Limerick, Galway & western
Ireland) bus 90 links Connolly & Heuston stations (allow 45
mins) or you can take the new tram,
www.luas.ie.
Train+ferry fares from UK stations to 'Dublin City' include
the DART train to Dublin Connolly, but it's 2.50 euros extra
each way if your ticket is only to Dun Laoghaire. Train+ferry fares
to Cork, Limerick, Galway etc. include the DART train
to Dublin Connolly and a bus (but not the tram) to Dublin
Heuston station.
-
Map of Dublin showing the Ferryport (far right, at the end
of Tolka Quay Road).
Map showing Dun Laoghaire ferry terminal & central Dublin.
Dublin ► London
(via Irish Ferries)
|
| |
Mondays-Fridays |
Saturdays |
Sundays |
|
1. Ferry
Ferry type: |
Ulysses |
Swift * |
Swift |
Ulysses |
Ulysses |
Swift * |
Swift |
Ulysses |
Ulysses |
Swift * |
Swift |
Ulysses |
|
Dublin
Ferryport
(terminal 1) depart by ferry: |
08:05 |
08:45 * |
14:30 |
20:55 |
08:05 |
08:45 * |
14:30 |
20:55 |
08:05 |
08:45 * |
14:30 |
20:55 |
|
Holyhead arrive
by ferry: |
11:30 |
10:45 * |
16:30 |
00:20 |
11:30 |
10:45 * |
16:30 |
00:20 |
11:30 |
10:45 * |
16:30 |
00:20 |
|
2. Train
Change trains at: |
direct |
Llandudno Jn |
Chester |
Birmingham |
direct |
Chester |
Chester &
Crewe |
Warrington |
direct** |
direct** |
Llandudno &
Crewe |
direct |
|
Holyhead depart
by train: |
13:58 |
11:23 |
17:21 |
04:50 ** |
14:36 |
11:23 |
17:21 |
07:50 (Sun) |
13:55 |
13:55 |
17:30 |
04:50 (Mon) |
|
London Euston arrive
by train: |
17:38 |
15:28 |
21:42 |
08:36 ** |
18:38 |
15:28 |
22:43 |
12:51 (Sun) |
17:44 |
17:44 |
23:59 |
08:36 (Mon) |
Dublin ► London
(via Stena Line)
|
| |
Mondays-Fridays |
Saturdays |
Sundays |
|
1. Ferry...
Ferry type: |
Ship |
HSS |
Ship |
HSS |
Ship |
HSS |
|
Dublin Ferryport (Terminal 2) depart by ferry: |
08:20 |
- |
08:20 |
- |
08:20 |
- |
|
Dun Laoghaire (for Dublin) depart by ferry: |
| |
13:30 |
| |
13:30 |
| |
13:30 |
|
Holyhead ferry arrive
by ferry: |
11:25 |
15:29 |
11:25 |
15:29 |
11:25 |
15:29 |
|
2. Train... Change trains at: |
direct |
Crewe |
direct |
Chester, Crewe |
direct |
Chester |
|
Holyhead train depart
by train: |
13:58 |
17:21 |
14:36 |
16:38 |
13:55 |
16:25 |
|
London Euston train arrive
by train: |
17:38 |
21:42 |
18:38 |
21:58 |
17:44 |
20:44 |
Fares
|
|
Fares via Irish Ferries
(Ulysses or Swift) |
One-way
|
Return
|
Child 5-15
one-way
|
Child 5-15
return
|
|
London
► Dublin Ferryport |
£29 |
£58 |
£14.50 |
£29 |
|
Any UK station in zone A ► Dublin Ferryport |
£25 |
£50 |
£12.50 |
£25 |
|
Any UK station in zone B ► Dublin Ferryport |
£26 |
£52 |
£13 |
£26 |
|
Any UK station in zone C ► Dublin Ferryport |
£27 |
£54 |
£13.50 |
£27 |
|
Any UK station in zone D ► Dublin Ferryport |
£29 |
£58 |
£14.50 |
£29 |
|
Fares via Stena Line
(HSS or ship) |
One-way
|
Return
|
Child 5-15
one-way
|
Child 5-15
return
|
|
London
► Dun Laoghaire or Dublin Ferryport |
£29 |
£58 |
£14.50 |
£29 |
|
Any UK station in zone A ► Dublin
Ferryport |
£25 |
£50 |
£12.50 |
£25 |
|
Any UK station in zone B ► Dublin
Ferryport |
£26 |
£52 |
£13 |
£26 |
|
Any UK station in zone C ► Dublin
Ferryport |
£27 |
£54 |
£13.50 |
£27 |
|
Any UK station in zone D ► Dublin
Ferryport |
£29 |
£58 |
£14.50 |
£29 |
-
These fares cover both the train to Holyhead and the ferry
to Ireland. At certain peak times, slightly higher
fares apply (about £2-£4 more each way). Apart from
this, these fares are valid on any day, any date, any train
and any sailing of your chosen ferry operator. There's unlimited availability at these prices, you can even buy
tickets at these prices on the day of travel.
-
Unlike a cheap flight, the date of return can be left open.
Tickets include a reserved place on the ferry (so if you
leave the return portion open, you'll still need to make a
ferry reservation before your return journey). And
unlike a cheap flight, they are from central London, or even your local station, not
from an airport miles away.
Returns are valid for one month.
-
Stop-overs are not allowed, you must travel to/from Ireland in one go.
As they are so cheap, there's no further discount
for young person's or senior railcard holders.
-
You can check these fares using the
RailEasy online system below
or at
www.sailrail.co.uk.
-
If you live in Ireland, fares in euros for tickets bought in
Ireland can be found on the
rail+sail brochure on the Irish Ferries website.
Dublin to London costs 44 euros each way.
|
Which UK station is in which zone?
You can buy a train+ferry ticket from any mainland UK railway station to Dublin or
any Irish
railway station. |
|
Zone A:
|
Gwynedd North, Clwyd
|
|
Zone B:
|
Greater Manchester,
Staffordshire, Shropshire, Cheshire |
|
Zone C:
|
Lancashire, West Yorkshire,
South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire,
Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, West Midlands,
Warwickshire, Hereford & Worcester, Gloucestershire,
Powys, Gwynedd South. |
|
Zone D:
|
Cumbria, North Yorkshire,
Humberside, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire,
Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Greater
London, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Avon,
Gwent, South Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan, West Glamorgan,
Dyfed, Norfolk, Suffolk,
Essex, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire,
Dorset, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall. |
-
Children: Children under 16
must be accompanied by an adult. Unaccompanied
children 16-17 years old must have written authority to
travel from their parent or guardian.
-
Taking a bicycle? Bicycles
go for £5 each way on Irish Ferries, no reservation
required, you simply pay at the ferry terminal. Bikes are carried on trains
to Holyhead, but reservations are usually required and a
small fee (£3-£5) is payable per journey.
-
Dogs: Unfortunately, foot passengers cannot
take dogs on Irish Ferries or Stena Line.
-
Better value than flying... Unlike
many cheap flights, these train+ferry fares are flexible - you need a
reserved place on the ferry, but you can change your travel plans as you
like, and leave your return open, making the ferry
reservation for the return journey in Dublin when you know
when you want to come back.
These fares are also centre-to-centre, not airport to
airport. When comparing with the cost of a flight,
remember that it will cost £13 one-way or £26 return for the
train ride from central London to or from Luton, Stansted or
Gatwick airports, in addition to the air fare.
If you're in the
UK, you can buy London to Dublin train+ferry tickets:
-
online, using
the RailEasy online booking system on the right.
A small (£1.50-£2.61) booking fee is charged. If you have any problems using it, just book in person
or by phone instead. Unfortunately, online
booking to Ireland is not working at the moment, but
will hopefully be fixed soon, please book by phone.
-
in person at
most British railway stations, either in advance or on
the day of travel.
-
by calling the SailRail booking line,
08450 755 755. Lines are
open 08:00-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 0900-1700 Saturdays &
Sundays. See
www.sailrail.co.uk for more information.
-
by calling Virgin Trains on
0845 7 222 333
How to buy
tickets if you're in Ireland...
From Dublin to
London, the one-way train+ferry fare is 44
euros, see the
rail+sail brochure on the Irish Ferries website. If you're in Ireland,
you can buy these cheap rail+sea tickets:
-
by calling Irish
Railways on (01)
703 1884 (lines open
09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday) or (if travelling by Irish
Ferries) Irish Ferries
on 0818 300 400 (lines open
09:00-19:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-16:00 Saturdays).
-
in person at
major Irish Rail stations.
-
by e-mail to europeanrail@irishrail.ie.
How to buy
tickets if you're overseas...
-
You can book
the special combined train+ferry tickets to Dublin online,
using the RailEasy online booking system
on the right. Non-UK credit cards are
accepted, just do whatever it takes to get the system to
accept your non-UK address, as the drop-down box on the
enter-your-address page currently only lists 'United
Kingdom' (they may fix this soon!). They
won't send tickets overseas, so simply select the option
to collect your tickets from the self-service ticket
machines located at most major British stations,
including London Euston (but not Dublin).
If you have any problems, book in person or by phone.
Unfortunately, online booking to Ireland is not
working at the moment, but will hopefully be fixed soon,
please book by phone.
-
Or you can simply wait till you get to the UK and book at
the station. Remember, the cheap flexible fares have
unlimited availability, so there's no need to book a place
weeks ahead.
-
Alternatively,
you can call Virgin Trains telesales on +44 870 9080 107.
Tickets can only be posted to UK addresses, but you can ask
to collect them
at many UK railway stations, including London
Euston, or have them sent to your hotel.
Train & ferry times from other UK
cities to Dublin...
-
Just go to
www.nationalrail.co.uk;
-
Enter any station you like in the 'From' box, such as
Birmingham, Cardiff, Newcastle, Norwich, your own local
station, whatever...
-
Enter 'Dublin Ferryport' in the 'To' box for Irish Ferries,
enter 'Dun Laoghaire' for Stena Line;
-
Enter your dates of travel and hit 'search'. Easy!
-
When the results appear, it doesn't distinguish between the
Ulysses ship and the Swift fast ferry to Dublin Ferryport,
it just says 'ferry'. If the ferry takes 3 hours or
more than it's the Ulysses, if it takes 2 hours or less it's
the Swift. All ferries to Dublin Ferryport are run by
Irish Ferries. All ferries to Dun Laoghaire are run by
Stena Line.
-
Click 'fares' to see the fare for that journey.
-
You can buy the ticket at the station
either in advance or on the day of travel (the prices
doesn't vary). Or you can buy by phone, calling the sailrail booking line,
08450 755 755. Lines are
open 08:00-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 0900-1700 Saturdays &
Sundays.
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| Irish Ferries' superb cruise ferry 'Ulysses' from
Holyhead to Dublin... |
|
A private cabin aboard the Ulysses. |
|
The
50,000-ton Ulysses is the world's biggest car ferry... |
|
|
|
|
There is a regular
fully-integrated train+ferry service from London Paddington
to Rosslare in Southern Ireland via Fishguard.
Inclusive rail+sea tickets are sold from any UK railway
station to any Irish railway station via this route.
Connecting buses and trains link Rosslare with Wexford,
Waterford, Tipperary and Limerick.
London ►
Southern Ireland (via Fishguard & Stena Line):
|
|
Train (change at
Swansea): |
Mon-Fri |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Mon-Fri |
Saturday |
Sunday |
|
Depart London
Paddington |
08:45 |
08:45 |
08:35
|
19:15 |
19:45 |
19:45 |
|
Arrive Fishguard |
13:38 |
13:38 |
13:55
|
01:04 |
00:59 |
01:01 |
|
Ferry: |
|
Depart Fishguard |
14:30 |
14:30 |
14:30 |
02:45 |
02:45 |
02:45 |
|
Arrive Rosslare
Europort |
18:00 |
18:00 |
18:00 |
06:15 |
06:15 |
06:15 |
|
Train: |
|
Depart Rosslare
Europort |
20:30 |
20:30 |
19:00b |
07:00 |
07:00 |
07:20b |
|
Arrive Waterford |
21:47 |
21:47 |
20:20b |
08:18 |
08:18 |
08:45b |
|
Arrive Tipperary |
- |
- |
- |
10:05 |
10:05 |
- |
|
Arrive Limerick |
- |
- |
- |
11:00k |
11:00k |
- |
b
= connection by bus
k = change at
Limerick Junction
x = change at
Waterford and Limerick Junction
w = change at
Waterford
No service on 25
& 26 December.
Always check UK train times for
your date of travel at
www.nationalrail.co.uk. Especially on Sundays,
engineering work can affect train times.
Always double-check Irish train times at
www.irishrail.ie.
Southern
Ireland ► London (via Fishguard & Stena Line):
|
|
Train: |
Mon-Fri |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Mon-Thu |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
|
Depart Limerick |
- |
- |
- |
10:55x |
10:55x |
10:55x |
- |
|
Depart Tipperary |
- |
- |
- |
11:58w |
11:58w |
11:58w |
- |
|
Depart Waterford |
07:00b |
07:00b |
07:00b |
17:25 |
17:25 |
17:25 |
14:00b |
|
Arrive Rosslare
Europort |
08:25b |
08:25b |
08:25b |
18:41 |
18:41 |
18:41 |
15:25b |
|
Ferry: |
|
Depart Rosslare
Europort |
09:00 |
09:00 |
09:00 |
21:15 |
21:15 |
21:15 |
21:15 |
|
Arrive Fishguard |
12:30 |
12:30 |
12:30 |
01:00 |
01:00 |
01:00 |
01:00 |
|
Train (change at
Swansea): |
|
Depart Fishguard |
13:50 |
13:50 |
14:10 |
01:50 |
01:50 |
01:50 |
01:50 |
|
Arrive London
Paddington |
18:30 |
18:29 |
19:56 |
07:32 |
07:38 |
09:40 |
07:32 |
Regular flexible fares
|
One-way
|
Return
|
|
London
or any South East rail station to Rosslare |
£32 |
£64 |
|
Bristol or
Cardiff to Rosslare |
£27 |
£54 |
-
These fares are valid on any day, any date, any train and
any Stena Line sailing.
-
Unlimited availability at these prices, you can even buy
tickets at these prices on the day of travel.
-
Unlike a cheap flight, the date of return can be left open.
Tickets include a reserved place on the ferry (so if you
leave the return portion open, you'll still need to make a
ferry reservation before your return journey).
-
Returns are valid for one month.
-
Stop-overs are not allowed in either direction, you must
complete your journey to Ireland in one go.
As they are so cheap anyway, there's no further discount
for young person's or senior railcard holders.
-
You can check these fares using the
RailEasy booking form above or at
www.sailrail.co.uk
-
Children 5 to 15
travel at 50% off these fares.
-
Taking a bicycle? Bikes
go free on Stena Line, no reservation required. Bikes are carried on trains
to Fishguard, but reservations are usually required and a
small fee is payable.
How to buy
tickets...
You can buy London to Ireland rail+sea tickets:
-
online, using
the RailEasy booking form above.
This will book train+ferry tickets from London or any
other station to Rosslare harbour, although not to other
stations within Ireland. A small (£1.50-£2.61)
booking fee is charged.
-
in
person at most UK UK
railway stations.
-
by calling the sailrail booking line,
0845 0 755 755. Lines are
open 08:00-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 0900-1700 Saturdays &
Sundays. See
www.sailrail.co.uk for more information.
-
by calling Stena Line on 0870
5 455 455 (from overseas call
+44 870 5 455 455).
Lines are open 08:30-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00
Saturdays & 09:00-17:00 on Sundays.
-
by calling Virgin Trains on 0845 7 222
333 (This
number will not work from overseas - from outside the
UK, call Virgin Trains on +44 870 9080 107.
Tickets will not be posted abroad, but you can pick them up
on departure from many UK railway stations, including London
Euston).
Buying tickets
in Ireland...
If you're already in Ireland, to book rail+sea tickets in Dublin, call (01)
703 1884 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday)
or visit a major Irish Rail station.
|
|
|
|
London - Cork via Holyhead...
This is the
easiest route. Simply travel from
London to Dublin on any of the train+ferry services
shown in the London to Dublin section above, then take
any of the hourly Irish
Rail InterCity trains from Dublin to Cork (journey time
2 hours 50 minutes). Use the Irish Rail
website, www.irishrail.ie,
to check train times from Dublin to Cork. You can
buy a through ticket from any UK station to Cork via
either via Stena Line or via Irish Ferries. From any UK railway station to Cork
costs
£16 one-way or £32 return more than
the appropriate fare to Dun Laoghaire with Stena Line or Dublin Ferryport with
Irish Ferries. So London to Cork costs £42 one-way or
£84 return. See some sample
fares... You can buy tickets at your local
railway station, or by calling Virgin Trains on 0845 7 222
333 or (if you plan
to travel with Stena Line) directly with Stena Line on 0870
5 455 455.
Stena Line's phone lines are open 08:30-20:00
Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays & 09:00-17:00 on
Sundays. London
- Cork via Swansea-Cork Ferries: Restarting in
March 2010...
NO SAILINGS 2007, 2008 OR 2009: Sadly,
Swansea-Cork Ferries went out of business in late 2006 and
there were no Swansea-Cork ferry sailings at all in 2007,
2008, and probably not now in 2009 either. See
www.bringbacktheswanseacorkferry.com. Now the
good news:
SAILINGS LIKELY TO RESUME IN MARCH 2010: New
company
www.fastnetline.co.uk hopes to restart this service with
a new ship in March 2010, so keep an eye on their website.
When it resumes operation, the ferry will arrive at Cork's Ringaskiddy ferry terminal, 12 miles
from Cork. Buses link Ringaskiddy with Cork city
centre. Make sure you're on deck when the
ship sails into Cork Harbour, as she sails between the
headlands at the harbour entrance where the
trans-Atlantic liners (including the Titanic) dropped anchor
to pick up passengers from Cobh (called Queenstown before
1920), then passes right by Cobh seafront on the way to the
ferry dock at Cork Ringaskiddy. The yellow 'Titanic
Bar' is the old White Star Line shipping office, from which
passengers boarded the tenders taking them out to the
Titanic in June 1912. The low red building next along to the right of it is
the old Cunard office where survivors (and victims) of the
sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 were brought ashore.
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| In days
gone by, the old Swansea-Cork ship 'Superferry' boarding at
Swansea. |
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Arriving
in Cork harbour - sailing past the seafront at Cobh on
the way to Cork Ringaskiddy. |
Previously, combined train+ferry tickets have been
available from any British railway station to Cork via this
route, but it is not yet clear if the new company will adopt
these.
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London to other places in Ireland:
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London to Limerick...
You
have two main choices:
-
Travel
from London to Dublin via Holyhead, then take an Irish
Rail InterCity train from Dublin to Limerick. See
the 'London to Dublin' section above for train and ship
times from London to Dublin. Then visit the Irish Rail
website, www.irishrail.ie,
to check train times from Dublin to Limerick. You
can buy a through ticket from any UK station to Limerick
via this route - the fare to Limerick is £16 more
one-way or £32 more return than
the equivalent fare to Dun Laoghaire with Stena Line or
Dublin Ferryport
with Irish Ferries. See
some sample fares...
-
Travel
from London to Limerick by connecting train+ferry+train
service via Fishguard and Rosslare. See the London
to Rosslare & Waterford section above for
times. You can buy a through ticket from any UK
station to Limerick via this route.
London to Sligo, Galway,
Kilkenny, Tralee...
From
London, Birmingham or Manchester, the most usual route would
probably be via Holyhead to Dublin / Dun Laoghaire -
see
the 'London to Dublin' section above for train and ship
times from London to Dublin. Then visit the Irish Rail
website, www.irishrail.ie,
to check train times from Dublin to Sligo, Kilkenny, Tralee
or Galway. You can buy a through ticket from any UK
station to Sligo, Galway or Tralee (or any station in
Ireland) via this route - the fare to Sligo, Galway,
Kilkenny or Tralee is £27 more than the equivalent fare to
Dun Laoghaire with Stena Line or £25 more than the
equivalent fare to Dublin Ferryport with Irish Ferries.
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One-way
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Return
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London
► Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, or Tralee |
£47.50 |
£95 |
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Birmingham
► Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Tralee |
£45.50 |
£91 |
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Manchester
► Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Tralee |
£44.50 |
£89 |
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East
Anglia, Kent, South, South-West to these places |
£47.50 |
£95 |
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These fares are valid on any day, any date, any train and
any Stena Line sailing.
-
Unlimited availability at these prices, you can even buy
tickets at these prices on the day of travel.
-
Unlike a cheap flight, the date of return can be left open.
Tickets include a reserved place on the ferry (so if you
leave the return portion open, you'll still need to make a
ferry reservation before your return journey). And
unlike a cheap flight, they are from your local station, not
from an airport miles away.
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Returns are valid for one month.
-
Stop-overs are not allowed in either direction, you must
complete your journey to Ireland in one go.
As they are so cheap anyway, there's no further discount
for young person's or senior railcard holders.
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You can check these fares at
www.sailrail.co.uk. Remember,
these fares are just a selection - you can buy tickets at
fares like these from ANY UK railway station to Dublin or
ANY Irish railway station via a selection of sea routes.
Children 5 to 15
travel at 50% off these fares. Children under 5 free.
Taking a bicycle? Bikes
go free on Stena Line, no reservation required. Bikes are carried on trains
to Fishguard, but reservations are usually required and a
small fee is payable.
Tickets
are issued as either out and back with Irish Ferries
to Dublin Ferryport or out and back with Stena Line
to Dun Laoghaire - you cannot go out and back with different
operators.
How to buy
tickets...
You can buy
tickets in person at your local railway station, or by calling
the sailrail booking line, 08450
755 755. Lines are open 08:00-20:00
Mondays-Fridays, 0900-1700 Saturdays & Sundays. See
www.sailrail.co.uk for more information.
Alternatively,
you can book with Virgin Trains on 0845 7 222
333 or Stena Line on 0870
5 455 455.
Stena Line's phone lines are open 08:30-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00
Saturdays & 09:00-17:00 on Sundays.
In Ireland,
visit any major Irish Rail station or call Irish Railways on 01
703 1884 (lines open
09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday) or (if travelling by Irish
Ferries) Irish Ferries
on 0818 300 400 (lines open
09:00-19:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-16:00 Saturdays).
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Trains
are a pleasant and relaxing way to get around Ireland.
As you'd expect, most rail lines radiate out of Dublin, see
the route map above.
Trains run from Dublin's Heuston Station to
Limerick (2 hour 45 minutes), Cork (2 hours 50 minutes -
change at Cork for Cobh), Sligo (3 hours), Killarney, Tralee,
Galway (2 hours 45 minutes), Kilkenny, Waterford.
Trains
run from Dublin's Connolly
Station to Belfast, Dun Laoghaire, Bray, Wicklow, Wexford
and Rosslare. Dublin to Belfast takes just 2 hours on
the modern 'Enterprise' express trains.
New
air-conditioned intercity trains are being introduced as
part of a massive investment programme, and frequencies are
being increased. Dublin to Cork and Limerick will soon
become hourly throughout the day, and trains will run every
2 hours on routes to Galway, Sligo, Waterford, Wexford.
For Irish train times
& fares, see
the Irish Railways website, www.irishrail.ie. Irish
rail enquiries are on (within Ireland) 01 836 6222 or (calling from
outside Ireland) 00
353 1 836 6222.
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Above: The new face of Irish Railways.
These modern air-conditioned railcars are being introduced
during 2008 onto all intercity routes from Dublin, other
than the Dublin-Belfast and Dublin-Cork routes which
already have new trains. |
 Dublin ► Belfast
Modern air-conditioned 'Enterprise'
trains link Dublin & Belfast every couple of hours, journey
time about 2 hours. See www.irishrail.ie
and/or
www.translink.co.uk.
Rail map of
Great Britain & Ireland.
Thomas Cook publish an excellent
map of train network in Great Britain and Ireland, showing
all train routes, scenic routes, ferry routes and places of
interest.
Click here
to buy at Amazon.co.uk.
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Above: Intercity train from Dublin to Limerick,
Cork, Galway or Belfast, then motorcoach to the sights... |
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Above: The Cliffs of
Moher, western Ireland... |
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Right: Kissing the Blarney Stone, on the upper
battlements at Blarney Castle, southern Ireland, supposedly giving
you the gift of eloquence... |
Railtours Ireland (www.railtoursireland.com)
deserves a special mention, as they run daily tours from Dublin using
a unique concept that makes the famous sights & scenery of western &
northern Ireland accessible as a day trip from Dublin. Working
closely with Iarnrod Eireann (Irish Railways),
-
you are whisked from central Dublin to Limerick, Galway, Cork or
Belfast by comfortable air-conditioned intercity train, leaving around
7:00-7:30 am...
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A motorcoach meets the train and takes you on a guided tour into the
countryside.
-
The range of tours includes kissing the
Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, driving around the Ring of Kerry, or to
see the Giant's Causeway, or to Bunratty Castle and the Cliffs of
Moher, and more... There's a stop for lunch;
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In the early evening the coach takes you back to the station and puts you on
a fast intercity train back to Dublin, arriving (depending on the
tour) 8:00-10:15 pm.
Prices are pretty good, for example the 1 day tour to Cork, the Blarney
Stone & the Queenstown Story at Cobh costs 109 euros (£87)
including the train ride from Dublin, and
the 1 day tour to Belfast and the Giant's Causeway, or the Ring of
Kerry are the same price. As well as these day trips, they also run 2-6 day tours.
They've been operating for 10 years now, and get great reports.
You can book online at
www.railtoursireland.com, or by phone. Please mention seat61.com when
booking.
Top tip: There's a full cooked breakfast available in the
restaurant car of some of the Irish Rail intercity trains they use out
of Dublin, costing around 15 euros (£12). It's as good a cooked
breakfast as you'll have on any regular scheduled train, so treat
yourself!
New London to Dublin tour, by train & ferry...
New from 2008,
www.railtoursireland.com offers short breaks to Dublin by train &
ferry, with the option to add kissing the Blarney Stone, the Ring of
Kerry, or visiting the Giant's causeway. No airport hassles, no ugly
motorways. They are the only tour company (as far as I know) to
offer the eco-friendly (and people-friendly!) rail & sail alternative
to flying.
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The tour leaves London every weekday from March to October, aboard the
09:10 Virgin Trains departure direct from Euston station to
Holyhead via the scenic North Wales coastline. At Holyhead
you board the Irish Ferries cruise ferry 'Ulysses' and sail across the Irish
Sea to Dublin Ferryport, arriving around 5.30pm. It's the scenic & painless way to reach Ireland!
See the account of this journey & photos
above.
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The package includes 2 nights three-star hotel accommodation in Dublin
(with the option of extra nights)
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The cost is 289 euros (£229) per person for London-Dublin
return train+ferry travel plus the 2 nights hotel.
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You can then mix-and-match the London-Dublin tour with one or more
1-day tours from Dublin, see the day trips section above.
To book from the UK, call free on 0800 328 2899. To book
from outside the UK, call +353 1 856 0045
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    To
get the most from your visit, you should take a good guidebook.
For the independent traveller, I think this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. Both
series are excellent.
Lonely Planet Dublin -
Lonely
Planet Ireland -
Rough Guide Ireland .
Also consider Ecoescapes Ireland, which lists eco-friendly places to
stay.
Click the images to buy at
Amazon.co.uk...
Or buy Lonely Planets direct from the
Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide.
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Hotels in
Dublin, Cork, Galway or anywhere else in
Ireland...
It's
easy to book hotels online to go with your train+ferry tickets,
just use the form below. This links to
www.hotelscombined.com, a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites for you
(including Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms, Opodo, Venere and many
others) to find the cheapest hotel rates. Set
up in 2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place
to start for booking any hotel online in any country,
worldwide. It saves me hours going round in circles on
umpteen different hotel sites!
Other hotel sites
worth trying...
-
www.laterooms.com
negotiates discounts for rooms booked within
3 months of travel, which makes it ideal for train travellers booking
tickets within the normal 12 week advance booking period. The
discounted prices will be shown in orange. Click on the
dates to sort results by price.
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www.mrandmrssmith.com (no relation!) is the place to start
if you want something special for an anniversary, honeymoon,
romantic break or other special occasion. It lists
a number of hand-picked boutique hotels in Dublin.
-
www.tripadvisor.com
is the best place to browse for
independent travellers' reviews of the main hotels, and it has
the low-down on Dublin attractions too.
Backpacker hostels...
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